Megillah 21b (כא:) — the Talmud in English

The tanna taught: Unlike the Torah,

which may be read only by one person alone .

The Sages taught: With the Torah—

one reads and one translates. But one may not have one read and two translate,

because two voices are not heard.

And with the Prophets—

one reads, and

even

two may translate. But one may not have two read and two translate.

The reason is that the translation is only in order to cause women and common people, who do not understand the reading, to hear it. Therefore, with the translation of the Torah, they must hear clearly so that they will understand the mitzvot, and therefore two may not translate. But with the translation of the Prophets, we are not so particular.

And with Hallel and the Megilla—

even ten may read, and ten may translate .

What is the reason?

Since it is beloved, they direct

their

attention

and hear

even from two people .

We learned in our Mishna:

“Where the custom is to recite a blessing”—

one recites the blessing

etc.

Abaye said: They taught this

that where the custom is not to recite a blessing, one does not recite a blessing

only with regard to the blessing afterward. But beforehand—

it is a mitzva to recite a blessing.

For Rav Yehuda said in the name of Shmuel: For all mitzvot—

one recites a blessing over them immediately before [

before ]

performing them.

What indication is there that this word, “immediately before,”

is an expression of precedence?

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said,

that

the verse states: “And Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and overtook the Cushite.”

That is, he preceded the Cushite.

Abaye said: From here,

as it is written:

“And he passed before them.”

And if you wish, say instead, from here: “And their king shall pass before them, and the Lord at their head.”

What blessing does one recite beforehand?

Rav Sheshet of Katrezya happened to come before Rav Ashi, and he recited the blessings mem-nun-het.

That is, the initials of: “Who commanded us concerning

the

reading of the Megilla,” “Who performed

miracles

for our ancestors,” and “Who

granted us life” .

What blessing does one recite afterward?

“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who wages our quarrel, Who judges our case, Who avenges our vengeance, Who exacts retribution for us from our enemies, and Who repays due recompense to all

the enemies of our soul ,

“Blessed are You, Lord, Who exacts retribution for Israel from all their enemies.”

Rava said

at the conclusion of this blessing:

“the God who saves.”

Rav Pappa said: Therefore,

since one Master said this and another Master said that—

let us recite both of them.

And this is what we say:

“Blessed are You, Lord, Who exacts retribution for Israel from all their enemies, the God who saves.”

We learned in our Mishna:

“On Mondays and Thursdays, at the afternoon prayer, three read from the Torah, etc.”

These three

read—

corresponding to what

are they?

Rav Asi said: They correspond to the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings.

Rava said: They correspond to priests, Levites, and Israelites.

And we raised a difficulty concerning this: If so, that the number of those who read was instituted corresponding to something,

but as for that which Rav Shimi taught: One may not read fewer than ten verses in the synagogue ,

and the verse

“And the Lord spoke

to Moses, saying,”

counts toward the number,

even though nothing can be learned from it—

these ten

verses

corresponding to what

are they?

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: They correspond to the ten idlers in the synagogue.

Rav Yosef said: They correspond to the Ten Commandments that were stated to Moses at Sinai.

And Rabbi Yohanan said: They correspond to the ten utterances through which the world was created.

Which are they,

the ten utterances?

All the verses beginning with

“And God said” in Genesis,

such as: “And God said: Let there be light.”

And we raised the difficulty:

These

“And God said” statements—

there are only nine!

And we answer:

“In the beginning

God created” was said concerning the creation of heaven and earth—

it too is an utterance. As it is written: “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their hosts,”

we see that heaven and earth, too, were created through an utterance.

Rava said: If the

if the

first

of the three who read

read four

verses [for since they read ten verses for three readers, it follows that one of the readers reads four verses, while each of the others reads three verses]—he is

praiseworthy

for doing so. And likewise,

the second who read four [if the first did not read four]—he is

if the first reader did not read four]—

praiseworthy.

And likewise,

the third who read four—he is

praiseworthy .

Rava now explains his statement:

The first who read four—

is praiseworthy;

from where do we know this?

As we learned: With three baskets, each holding three se'a, they would make the collection for the Chamber.

That is, they would place the half-shekel coins in the Chamber, and three times a year they would take them from there using those three baskets, in order to purchase offerings with them.

And written on them were

letters

aleph, bet, gimel,

in order

to know which of them,

of those baskets,

was collected from first,

in order

to offer from it first,

because

there is a mitzva with the first.

We see that the first is praiseworthy.

The middle one who read four—

is praiseworthy;

from where do we know this?

As it was taught in a beraita,

it is written:

“Toward the face of the menorah shall the seven lamps give light

of the seven lamps.”

This teaches that he would turn

their faces

of the six lamps—that is, the mouths of the lamps [the lamps are the bowls in which the oil and wick were placed], where the wick was positioned—

toward the western lamp,

which was the lamp fixed in the body of the menorah, in its center. This is the meaning of “toward the face of the menorah.”

And the western lamp

was inclined

toward the Divine Presence,

which is in the west; for the menorah was placed in the Tabernacle from north to south, and the western lamp was drawn slightly toward the west .

And Rabbi Yohanan said: From here—

that the middle one is praiseworthy,

since all the lamps faced toward the western lamp, which was in the middle.

And the last one who read four—

is praiseworthy.

What is the reason?

Because

one

one ascends in sanctity—

and does not descend.

Therefore, it is preferable for the last one to read four. If one of the earlier readers were to read four, it would emerge that there is a descent with regard to the last one, who reads only three.

Rav Pappa happened to come to the synagogue of Avi Gover,

and he read

he

the first four

verses,

and Rav Pappa praised him .

We learned in our Mishna:

One may not reduce their number, nor may one add to it

and so on.

It was taught: The one who begins,

the first reader,

recites the blessing before it, and the one who concludes—

recites the blessing after it.

And what is the reason that

now,

in our time,

all of them,

all the readers,

recite a blessing before and after it?

This is the reason the Sages instituted it—

due to those who enter,

that is, those who entered after the one who began had recited his blessing and did not hear his blessing; they might say that there is no blessing before the Torah reading. Therefore, they instituted a blessing before it for every reader .

And due to those who leave,

that is, those who left before the one who concludes recited his blessing and might say that there is no blessing after the Torah reading. Therefore, they instituted a blessing after it for every reader.

We learned in our Mishna:

On the first days of the months and on the intermediate days of a Festival, four read, etc.

Ulla bar Rav asked Rava: How does one read the passage of the first day of the month

with four readers?

The reading begins with the passage concerning the daily offering:

“Command the Children of Israel and say to them: My offering, My food

and so on.” If so, this passage,

which contains eight verses, what shall we do

with its reading?

If you say that

we should have two

of the readers read

three verses each,

then

two would remain

verses in the passage,

and one may not leave fewer than three verses in a passage [as the reason will be explained below]!

[as the reason is explained below]!

Rather,

we should have

two men read

four each

verses.

But still, what shall we do with the final passage?

Seven

verses remain!

“And on the day of Shabbat”—

there are two

verses, and

“And on the first days of your months”—

there are five. And

And

what shall we do

with this passage?

If

we have

one man read

two

verses

from this

of “And on the day of Shabbat,” and

one

verse

from those

verses of “And on the first days of your months,” then

one may not begin a passage with fewer than three verses [as stated below]!?

[as below]!?